The Pentagon's new National Defense Strategy will offer "more limited" support to U.S. allies, marking a significant shift in security priorities. The Department of Defense now considers the security of the U.S. homeland and the Western Hemisphere as its primary concern, according to the strategy document released this week.

This represents a departure from previous versions of the strategy, published every four years, which identified the threat posed by China as the top defense priority. The report states that relations with China will now be approached through "strength, not confrontation."

The defense strategy reinforces recent calls from President Donald Trump for greater "burden-sharing" from allies in countering threats posed by Russia and North Korea. This suggests a move towards a more transactional approach to alliances, with the U.S. expecting allies to contribute more directly to their own defense.

The 34-page report follows last year's publication of the U.S. National Security Strategy, which raised concerns about Europe and did not characterize Russia as a direct threat to the U.S. Moscow responded at the time that the document was "largely consistent" with its vision. In contrast, the 2018 Pentagon strategy described "revisionist powers" like Russia and China as key challenges to U.S. security.

The implications of this shift could be significant for U.S. allies, particularly those in Europe and Asia who rely on American security guarantees. It remains to be seen how this "more limited" support will be defined in practice and what impact it will have on regional security dynamics. The Pentagon has not yet released specific details on how this strategy will be implemented. Further announcements are expected in the coming weeks.